A Valentine's dance
by The-Seeress-Yeul
Summary: It's Valentine's and Terra takes Aqua to the dance.


AN: Originally written around 2010/2011 and published on deviantart. I don't remember the exact date. Original was much shorter, FF characters were in it, and Terra took Aqua out on a date to a fancy restaurant. Characters such as Sora, Kairi, the foretellers, Roxas, and Naminé, Lea, Mickey and Riku are mentioned only.

Dedicated to an anonymous friend of mine.

* * *

In a world built upon the ruins of another where trams connected the otherwise isolated islands and pinwheels and windmills seemed to be one of the town's iconic trademarks, those who would otherwise not congregate together studied together. On one of the islands was the school. It wasn't just for grade school, but for graduate school as well, and it was one week before Valentine's.

The whole school was excited about the Valentine's dance – or at least most of them were. An older student, Terra, hadn't chosen anyone for the dance. Dances weren't really his thing. If anything, they confused him. Lots of things confused him. The things that didn't confuse him were studying and training and he was on his way to another one of Master Eraqus's seminars when Ventus stopped him in the hall.

"Terra!"

The boy's shout could be heard from a mile away. Terra, turning to greet his friend, wondering what his friend wanted to talk about.

Ventus, nearly out of breath as if he had been running a long while, stopped, placed his hands on his knees while catching his breath and said, "Are you off to Master Eraqus's again!? I thought you'd finally be able to teach me how to hold my own fight."

Terra chuckled. "Of course, I'm off to the Master's. It is my next class, and… Well, you already know how. There's nothing more that I can teach you."

"But, Terra! I thought you'd understand! Even the master won't teach me anything more."

"You're still young, Ven. I'm sure the master still has plenty left to teach you."

Ventus only frowned.

The two continued their conversation as they made their way to the gym where Eraqus and the rest of the wrestling students waited. On their way to the gym, they passed more posters for the Valentine's dance and while Ventus was doey eyed, Terra had other things to think about. Like how he could get out of going to the dance since it was required for all the student body to come.

Most of the students already had dates; Roxas and Naminé were going together as were Sora and Kairi, Luxu and Ava, Pence and his secret waifu he wouldn't tell anyone about... Mickey and Riku were too.

"So, are you gonna ask Aqua to the dance next week?" Ventus asks.

"What?!"

A slight tinge of red appears on his cheeks when he thinks about Aqua and he hastily tells Ventus that he isn't which only prompts his friend to smirk at him and say, "Yeah, okay."

At that moment who should walk by but Aqua. She was with Larxene, or as she was known now, Elrena, and they seemed to be laughing about something. Terra was never sure about Elrena especially in the moments when she came off as cold and confrontational for what he thought was no reason at all, but then again he figured there must be some kind of reason. Everyone here had some kind of history with one another in some shape or form. When Elrena saw Terra and Ventus standing by the dance posters, she bid Aqua a quick farewell stating she was off to find Laurium and Strelitzia.

Aqua bid her farewell and then turned to her two friends.

"So… You guys taking anyone special to the dance?" A tiny smile danced across her face.

Terra, who had moments before been thinking about Aqua, only got more flustered. "Um… No. Um… I don't know what you mean."

Aqua and Ventus laughed.

"Am I to assume you've already thought of someone, Terra?" Aqua asked, smirking.

"Oh. He already has, Aqua, but you won't get it out of him that easily." Ventus replied.

"Oh yeah. Why's that?"

"Oh… you know. Reasons." Ventus said with hands folded behind his head. He took off leaving Aqua and Terra to continue their conversation alone.

Not many people remained in the hallway. Most everyone was either in class or headed that way, so it was really just the two of them. Other posters were scattered across the hallways about other school events or classes you could take, how to sign up for the school's newspaper and school alerts. The ones for the dance took up most of the space and this particular billboard had the others arranged in a heart around the poster for the dance.

Terra's heart began to thump loudly and he wondered if it were possible for Aqua to hear it. She wasn't too far from him. After Ventus left, she had moved to stand next to him to examine the poster for the dance too. Her eyes held a kind of sadness in them, but also a yearning for simpler, happier times.

"Sometimes I wonder if all of this is a dream." She says, softly.

"What?"

She smiles again, a sad smile. "A dream, silly. Everything seems too good to be true, y'know? It's almost as if all of this is a farce."

"Aqua…"

His hands clenched into fists and he wonders if this was about the dreams she had been having recently. As far as he knew, he was the only one she'd told aside from Elrena and Eraqus. Her dreams contained a lot of sadness, fear, and pain. She'd dreamt about losing everyone she held dear to her in one way or another either by death, manipulation, or some other kind of horror her mind refused to accept. She'd even felt herself die in her dreams along with people like Ventus, Axel, and even Terra. If he had the power, he would stop those dreams from happening, but it wasn't long before even his own dreams were filled with some of the same strange events Aqua had described but from his own perspective. No one they'd told knew what the dreams meant or if they symbolized anything, but it had begun to trouble them and it had caused Aqua to doubt the reality they lived in.

Gently he takes her hand in his and squeezes it.

"Let's not think about the dreams. Let's think about happy things. Simple things. Like the dance."

"The dance, huh?"

"Yeah, the dance. So what do you say… You and I go together?"

"Us?!"

Aqua was shocked, but at the same time not really. She really liked Terra. She felt it in her bones, in her soul. They'd been friends for a long time, trained under Eraqus for even longer - her with dance and Terra with wrestling. Maybe these feelings were inevitable. Not that she really cared.

"Yes, of course, us. What? Did you want me to invite Ventus, too?"

"N-no! Of course not! I just didn't think you'd be the one to ask. I thought…" She blushes.

"What?"

"I thought I'd be the one to ask you to the dance."

Terra can't help, but let out a laugh.

He quickly apologizes and says, "Honestly I didn't expect myself to be the one either. You know me."

Aqua cracks a smile. "Yeah. You're too chicken when it comes to girls."

He couldn't deny that - or at the very least when it came to Aqua. He wasn't interested in any other girl the way he was interested in her with her beautiful oceanic eyes and her cornflower blue hair, and her thick thighs and curved hips. Aqua felt the same way about him. She wasn't interested in other boys unless it was Terra with his soft brown hair, eyes like the ocean that drew her in, and his oh so very thick muscles.

Letting go of her hand, they chuckled again and for a few moments they stared in silence at the poster of the dance. Moments before she broke the silence, Terra could feel her eyes on him causing him to become flustered again.

"Well, I suppose you should be getting to class. I know how strict the master is when it comes to tardiness."

Coughing, Terra replies, "Y-yeah. He'd probably make me train with Aeleus again or make me mop floors with Le- I mean, Axel."

They bid farewell and Terra was left to wonder what he was going to do at the dance with Aqua.

* * *

It was now the day of the dance and Terra still had not figured out what he was going to do at the dance. Ventus had been in disbelief that he had even managed to ask Aqua out and when Terra had asked him what they should do together, all his friend had to say was, "Dance? Duh? What else are you gonna do?" Terra had even asked Eraqus for advice and all Eraqus had done was simply laugh, give Terra a pat on the back, and say, "Treat her, of course!" Well what did that even mean? Now it was finally time for the dance, and he wasn't sure if he was supposed to surprise Aqua with something fancy or what. He knew they were good friends, close friends, and he really liked her, but that didn't stop him from worrying. What if she'd told Elrena and Elrena had asked what his big plans were, and Aqua had told her he had none or she didn't know and Elrena's disgust and disappointment in him would also cause Aqua to feel the same? Ugh! Girls! Girls could be so confusing sometimes.

Terra had arrived early to the dance to help finish setting up with Lea and making sure everything was "perfect" as per his punishment for being late to class. The head of the school, The Master of Masters, as he was called, was present along with some of the other professors he helped to mentor. They were Ava, Luxu, Invi, Ira, Aced, and Gula and they were all helping with preparations as well.

The Master of Masters broke away from the group and made his way over to where Terra was arranging plates and napkins.

"So I hear Eraqus's star pupil finally managed to ask out the girl of his dreams, huh? Most impressive if I do say so myself. If only my students were as gutsy as you. It sure was some kind of miracle when Luxu finally manned up and asked Ava out."

His brain didn't know what to pick out first. Star pupil? Gutsy? Terra just blinked in response which caused the Master to chortle.

"Don't know how to respond, eh?" He slaps Terra on the back. His dark black cloak obscuring his facial features. "Well don't worry about that and don't worry about any of this." He takes the silverware that Terra had been holding. "Go on. Go find your girl. I'm sure she's almost ready for you. The dance is about to start soon, and remember," He leans in close to Terra and whispers, "the balcony is a special place for lovers."

Terra could almost feel the Master winking at him as he tries to blink away his confusion and off he runs to go meet Aqua at her dorm.

* * *

As he made his way to the girl's dorm area, the halls were beginning to get flooded with students as they made their way to the ballroom where the dance was being held. He could feel his palms beginning to sweat and he nearly smashes into Elrena on her way to the ball.

"Watch where you're going, you stupid oaf!"

"E-Elrena!"

Of course it would be Elrena. That's just what he needed right now, but then again maybe he could ask her about Aqua. The girl with Elrena was Strelitzia. Compared to Elrena, Strelitzia was much easier to talk to and to handle and she was the complete polar opposite of her older brother, Laurium.

"S-sorry. I didn't see you there."

"Of course you didn't! Something on your mind? Oh I know! It's your gorgeous date, isn't it?"

"N-No! I-I mean, maybe! Yes!"

Elrena laughs.

"Well which is it?" She asks, her free hand on her hip. The other was holding Strelitzia's.

"Yes! Yes, I'm thinking about Aqua! Do you know where she is?"

Before Elrena could answer, Strelitzia replied, "She's with Kairi. Near the fountain."

"Thank you."

Strelitzia gives a nod and a smile and the two continue on their way to the dance while Terra races outside to find Aqua and Kairi right where Strelitzia had said they'd be. Terra didn't want to interrupt, but he couldn't help but notice the beautiful dress Aqua had on that seemed to resemble the ocean to him. A majority of the dress was blue, but he could pick out a few different colours from the distance he was at too. Shades of red and orange, purple and yellow could be seen near the top and bottom to resemble what he thought of as an anemone or a coral reef. Her high heels were black.

Kairi laughed and waved goodbye to Aqua and upon seeing Terra was a little shocked but gave him a warm smile, a wave hello, and ran over to where Sora had been standing waiting. She took his hand in her's and the couple left for the ballroom like everyone else.

Aqua herself had also turned around and had begun to make her way across the grounds when she saw Terra too.

"Terra! You clean up pretty well." She gestured to the black suit and tie he was wearing.

"Yeah, well…" He rubs a hand behind his head. "You look good in a dress, too."

She blushes over his compliment and then proceeds to tease him just a little. "Oh. So you're telling me you like to wear dresses, too?"

"What!? No that's not what I meant at all!"

Their laughter rang throughout the now empty grounds and after they were done, they followed everyone else to the ballroom.

* * *

When they finally arrived in the ballroom, the dance was already underway. Demyx was the DJ of the night and an upbeat, pulsing kind of tone was playing over the speakers. It wasn't the kind for slow dancing, but one that was much more energetic. Apparently so energetic that it didn't stop the Master of Masters from belting out the weirdest dance moves anyone had ever seen to the point where his students, the foretellers, were visibly cringing. Roxas had apparently joined in on the ridiculous dances much to his date's, Naminé's, protests.

Vanitas holding a cup of punch loudly declared, "I'll have whatever it is they're having."

Terra and Aqua joined the others that were just casually dancing and while they were both a little awkward at first (especially Terra), they warmed up and were having an all around good time, stopping for food and drink when they grew tired of dancing, chatting with their friends, taking pictures of each other for Kingstagram, and then getting up to dance again when Demyx played a slow song that was kind of mandatory for these kinds of events.

Terra had asked Aqua if she wanted to dance and after her "Yes.", they headed to the dance floor with the other couples. Terra led while Aqua followed. It gave her the chance to wrap her arms around him and place her hand on his shoulder as they swayed from side-to-side. Elrena and Strelitzia passed them by and Elrena gave Terra a wink before moving on. Terra coughed causing Aqua to remove her head from his shoulder and ask if anything was wrong.

"Nothing's wrong. I just… I'm really enjoying our time together. I didn't really think I'd enjoy the dance that much. They're not really my thing."

"I didn't think I'd enjoy it that much either to be honest. I never know what to expect with these kinds of events. The Master of Masters… You can never predict what he's going to do next."

Terra chuckled. "You can say that again.

The song was nearing its end when Terra remembered what the Master of Masters had told him earlier about the balcony.

"Hey Aqua."

"Hmm?"

Removing his hold around her, he gently takes her hand and says, "Let's go to the balcony. I hear it's a very special place."

She gives him an inquisitive look, but doesn't ask any questions as he leads her away from the dance floor to the balcony nearby.

It was a beautiful night out. There were millions of stars in the sky and the moon illuminated everything making everything seem extra special, extra magical, and it was even better because there wasn't a single cloud in sight to hinder their gaze from their stars.

"You know what they say about the stars?" Terra asks, looking at Aqua.

She was looking at the stars when she responded. "That each one is another world, right?"

"Yeah. Just think of all the different worlds out there."

"Mmm… It makes you wonder what they're like and if anyone else is out there."

"Yeah."

Aqua continues to gaze at the stars and Terra turns his gaze to them too, gently squeezing Aqua's hand. She gives him a squeeze back and for a few moments no words are exchanged as they look up at the sight of million stars.

The silence isn't necessarily broken. There was a moment that they both felt when they turned to look at each other. What they didn't say with words was exchanged with their eyes and for a brief moment they kissed under the moonlight.

When they broke away, Aqua let out a breath, a small smile on her face. "I guess Elrena was right."

Terra raises an eyebrow. "About what?"

"You sure are full of all kinds of surprises."

A spark of something danced in his eyes as he smirked as he took Aqua's hand again, pressing his lips to her knuckles. More upbeat music could be heard from the halls within as the dance continued way past what anyone would consider normal hours for a dance.


End file.
